Healthy Appetizers Under 100 Calories

Think high-brow party nibbles have to be high-calorie? Cooking Light magazine's stellar collection of party-worthy appetizers, all with 100 calories or less, proves you can have your fun without overindulging. Learn more.

Whether it's the holidays, game day, or a casual gathering of friends, serving an appetizer certainly gets the fun going. Unfortunately, so many bite-size nibbles weigh in with way too many calories for an entire meal, much less the first act to a bigger meal. This collection of party-worthy appetizers proves you can have it all: refined presentation with delicious, bold flavor without packing on the calories.

In some cases, the key to calorie restraint is about portions. Serving bite-size morsels that come in their own portion-controlled package, like Bruschetta with Peach Salsa and Melted Brie, adds a natural layer of restraint (as long as you can keep from eating the entire batch). And in other recipes it's all about smart ingredient choices. We substitute lower-fat ingredients when it makes sense (and when it tastes good), and we always try to serve appetizers with fresh veggies or fruit to round out the nutrition (and it also makes for a pretty presentation). At under 100 calories, each of these appetizers are sure to inspire your next gathering.

Blue cheese gives a bit of a bite, but is not overpowering to this delightfully crunchy snack. Prepare up to two days ahead and store in an airtight container at room temperature. We think they make a delightful nibble with drinks.

This scrumptious low-cal finger food was developed by reader Abigail McMahon who was inspired Ireland. "I love Ireland and the country's wonderful food. When I think of Irish food, the first items that come to mind are potatoes, salmon, and cheese." Luckily, this recipe has all three.

An appetizer that will not weigh-down you or you meal. A melt-in-your-mouth mixture of crab and other fresh ingredients is tucked into a crispy leaf of Boston lettuce to make this a little explosion of flavor.

Prepare the mayonnaise mixture and cook the steak up to a day in advance. There's no need to reheat it, just slice the steak about an hour ahead, and leave at room temperature. The savory delight paired with the creamy and spicy mayonnaise will surely be a hit.

Bake the corn bread up to three days in advance, and keep in a zip-top plastic bag. Combine the sauce ingredients and assemble the crab cakes the night before; refrigerate separately. Any leftover crab cakes are terrific with a green salad.

For easier shucking, steam clams over simmering water for two minutes or just until their shells barely open. Run a knife or small screwdriver around a shell's edge, and pop it open. If you partially steam the clams, reduce the broiling time by a minute or two. The clams may be unsteady on the jelly-roll pan, so you can line the pan with a bed of rock salt for more stability.

This tangy spread is delicious as a dip with whole-grain crackers or spread on a sandwich of grilled vegetables (shown here). The olives are a great source of monounsaturated fats. Make this ahead and have it on hand for a party or simple lunch.